I also HIIT for 16 minutes on the treadmill and end the program by cooling down with a 5 minute jog that is about 4/5 the intensity of the HIIT. My goal is very simple, lose the 30 pounds of extra weight that I carry and stay slim fit.

The program is short but I make it intense. I don't have all the time in the world and the gym is fairly far so I can't afford more that that. Besides, in my first attempt at training, and that was years ago, I completely overdid it by having a 10-12 exercises in every routine. It didn't take long before I lost all interest because every session would take an entire afternoon to complete.

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Now, my main question is, is it a good idea to create a second program and rotate between the two every 1-2 months?

I ask that for two main reasons
-Boredom is slowly poking its head out, new exercises would send it back to sleep...or so I assume.
-New exercises would work the muscles differently and that's always a good thing, right?

Thanks for your input

Phil

Ps, The odds and ends

-Is there any merit in not doing the full range of motion? Sometimes I see guys doing exercises with such a narrow range of motion that it feels to me that it is useless.

-Also, I've seen guys come to the gym fully clothed, and I really mean fully clothed. Big thick sweatpants and big thick hoodie vests with the hoodie on. Aside from keeping the body heat I don't see any benefit to that behavior at all, unless it is to get attention.

-Is there any merit in not doing the full range of motion? Sometimes I see guys doing exercises with such a narrow range of motion that it feels to me that it is useless.

If these guys know what they do, they most probably train specific parts of the range of motion to emphasize certain muscles involved. (working on "sticking points" for example)

-Also, I've seen guys come to the gym fully clothed, and I really mean fully clothed. Big thick sweatpants and big thick hoodie vests with the hoodie on. Aside from keeping the body heat I don't see any benefit to that behavior at all, unless it is to get attention.

Funny... I alway think (some of) the guys in the tank tops (or wearing less ;) ) are doing it to show their muscles and to get attention. ;)

About your question to change programs (or parts of it, like excercises, -variations or the set/rep scheme)... After the beginner stage where one doesn`t really need that, it is quite normal to periodize your training or change things up to work on specific goals (or weaknesses). No matter if someone is interested in strength (think powerlifting) or muscle mass (just hypertrophie or bodybuilding), both will profit from training for musclemass and for strength. The difference will perhaps be, how much time in their training year they are going to spend for each goal. (It`s a little more complex than this, but you get the point.)

So yes... you are most probably going to profit from changing things a little... like every 6-12 weeks. It doesn`t need to be a complete change of the program. Rotating Lowbar Squats, Highbar Squats and Front Squats for example or changing the grip on Chin ups (double overhand, neutral grip or undergrip) and so on could be enough. Most good programs have these things built in already or allow for these variations.

Well I just started my new program today and here's a couple of odds n ends to add to my original post

-When bench pressing, which finger do you put on the thin line?

-I have added Chin ups, quickly realized that I needed it to be assisted. So I put 150 lbs resistance, got on the machine, reverse grip, shoulder width but BOY...it really felt like my forearms did all the work. Is this normal and will subside over time?

Bench Pressing:
I had the little finger on the thin line or the index finger on the smooth part near the middle for close-grip bench press... But this doesn`t help you, because you are most probably not built like me ;)
The closer your grip the more load will be on shoulder and triceps. The wider the grip the more load will be on chest (and shoulders). You will probably get the most out of it with a grip where your forearm is perpendicular/vertical to the floor, when the bar touches your chest, because the range of motion is the biggest there. (This doesn`t make it easier, of course.)

Chins:
Just use the Lat-Pulldown, if (assisted) chins are too heavy at the moment. Initiate the movement with "shoulder depression" to get the Latissimus working.